Two of a Kind: the Fall
by Deducing-Angel
Summary: One year later, Maria, Em, Sherlock, and John are still friends somehow. They've survived The Great Game, the Hounds, Irene, and more. But what happens to them when the fall comes around? **This is a sequel to Two of a Kind**
1. Chapter 1

**Two of a Kind: the Fall**

**Author's Note: **This is a sequel to my other story Two of a Kind. You can read this without reading the other one, but I definitely wouldn't recommend it.

**I DON'T OWN ANYTHING BUT MY OC'S**

_Prologue_

Almost a year went past since the four had met. Maria had healed up from getting shot pretty quickly, but her leg still annoyed her every now and then. She went back to work, and Lesterade was treating her with more respect than some of his other co-workers. But then again, his other co-workers weren't extraordinary geniuses that took a bullet for a ― almost ― complete stranger.

Since then, Maria has been knocked unconscious, tied to a chair (more than once), and has been decked with explosives. Not exactly her best moments. But for some reason, her and her roommate Em still keep in contact with John and Sherlock.

Speaking of Em, her and John broke up after two months. Luckily, they're still friends, but they really never had enough time for dating when Maria and Sherlock were involved.

Sherlock surprised everyone when Maria's birthday came around. He got her a new pack of throwing knives and a two-way ticket to America so she could visit her dad again (In reality, he did that because he knew who Irene was, and _didn't_ want Maria there for that case). For Christmas, Maria bought him some new science equipment and an organ to experiment on. You can imagine how happy he was.

Eventually, the end of the year came and the New Year was going by fast. The first few months passed in a blur of cases, and the summer only brought bigger and better cases, along with the fall that no one saw coming.

Chapter 1

*Maria's and The Boy's POV's*

Three pair of feet hit the pavement, followed by the sound of a car close behind.

"Did you _have _to call him an idiot? He is one, but still!" Maria held Sherlock's hand tightly as they ran between alleys, John running alongside them.

"Did you have to threaten him?" Sherlock retaliated.

"Yes. He was _way _too close to me."

"Both of you need to learn how to _shut up_," John said, almost running into a fence.

They helped each other over it and ran into a nearby building. The three leaned against the wall and panted.

"That was great. We need to do it again," Maria looked up at Sherlock and laughed. He laughed with her, not letting go of her hand. John chuckled a bit, standing on the other side of Sherlock. He had to admit, it was pretty fun.

"I agree. Especially the part where he threatened to call the police and you brought out your badge," he looked down and shook his head, catching his breath.

"The look on his face was priceless," Maria imagined the man's wide eyes and open mouth, "Anyway, I guess we should call Lestrade and tell him that we found his criminal."

"We should. And what are you going to tell Em?" John asked Maria.

"Aw crap. You think I can just stay over at y'alls place again and avoid her till she calms down?" She knew what they were going to say.

"You could, but she might go insane," Sherlock joked. He still remembered when Emily slapped him because Maria saved him, and took a bullet because of it. It wasn't _his _fault, but she wouldn't listen.

"You probably need to just go home to not make her any more worried," John said, ignoring Sherlock's comment.

"True. I guess there's no avoiding her wrath. She's still mad at Sherlock and me because we had a throwing knife contest." Two months ago, Sherlock went to her apartment because he was bored. They ended up arguing about who had better aim, and somehow a target was taped to the living room wall and her new knives got stuck in it. Maria won. Em still won't let that one go.

"I can see why. You should see the bullet-filled smiley face we have," John sighed.

"You have a bullet-filled smiley on your wall? Why haven't I seen it yet?" her eyes filled with excitement. _Oh, god. I still can't get used to there being _two '_Sherlocks'_, John thought.

"I don't think you've gone in that room for a while. Now, I think we should get back to our flats, what about you?" Sherlock asked.

"I guess we should. But you, Sherlock, are coming with me. She doesn't yell at me as much when you're there."

"That's because she yells at me more."

John rolled his eyes. _I swear, they argue like an old married couple._ He looked out the door for any sign that the man chasing them was there.

"Exactly," she tightened her grip on his hand.

"Hey! What are you doing here?!" A gruff voice said in front of them. They all looked up and saw a large, dirty man in an apron, holding a butcher's knife.

"I'm sorry, we were just leaving," John held open the door, getting ready to run.

"I'm calling the police," the butcher took a phone out of his pocket and began dialing.

"Ready?" Sherlock murmured.

"Yea," Maria and John said at the same time. Sherlock pulled Maria's hand toward the exit, and she ran. Sherlock and John quickly followed, Sherlock smiling at the butcher's protests.

Maria ran up a fire escape and found her way to the roof. Turning around, she saw that the other two hadn't made their way up yet.

"Come on, boys!" she yelled, ready to jump to the other roof. She heard the bang of footsteps on the fire escape, and the two flatmates appear on top of the building. They ran up beside Maria, and jumped.

After running down more stairs and through more alleys, they found their way back to 221B.

"Wow, look at the time. I should be go ―" Sherlock tried to walk inside his flat.

"Nope. It's your fault we had to run ―" Maria started.

"Yours too."

"― and you're gonna endure this with me," she looked up at him, determined.

Sherlock looked at John, practically asking him for help.

"Just don't stay over there too late," John said, walking up the steps to their flat. Sherlock glared at him. John whispered to him, "One thing you need to know is: the girlfriend always wins." He unlocked the door and stepped inside, mouthing, 'Good luck.'

"Hey Em! I'm back from being almost flattened," Maria walked inside her flat with Sherlock, sliding off her coat and hanging it by the door. Sherlock rolled his eyes and walked into the living room. He heard the sound of water running through pipes above his head.

"She's in the shower," Sherlock plopped on the couch and laid down. Maria came in barefoot and saw him laying there.

"That's my spot. Out."

"Um…..no."

"Fine. Have it your way," she walked over and laid down on top of him, her feet beside his head. He adjusted to make room for her, but didn't get off. Maria then reminded Sherlock to text Lestrade and tell him the license plate number on the criminal's car. After he sent it, Em came in with a towel wrapped around her hair and slightly wet pajamas on.

"Nice to see you're alive," she sat in the chair under the throwing knives and looked at them sternly. _Great. She's like the mother I never had, _Maria stuffed her face in the pillow by her head.

"Why wouldn't we be? We've dealt with worse," Sherlock said.

"I know you have. But you were chased by a bloody _car _and didn't come back for an hour!" She yelled. _It's a good thing we didn't tell her about Moriarty and his bombs. I would probably be dead if she knew, _Sherlock felt his phone buzz in his coat pocket and dug it out, elbowing Maria's knee in the process.

"Be more careful," Maria said through the pillow.

"I didn't try to," he checked his phone. Lestrade thanked him and said that they were running the license plate_._ He slid his phone back in his pocket, elbowing Maria more forcefully.

She picked her head up and said, "You did that on purpose."

"Did what on purpose?"

She grabbed the pillow she was laying her head on and threw it at his face. He caught it and threw it back. That started a pillow fight, that both were determined to win.

Em got up and took the pillow from Sherlock's hands. She then replaced it with an older pillow ("If you're gonna fight, don't use my good pillows,").

After a minute of fighting, Maria realized that Em wasn't giving them her usual lecture. She decided not to question it. She didn't _want_ to get yelled at, but it was still strange._ Maybe she finally realized that we're gonna get in trouble all of the time, and it's no use yelling at us for it, _she thought just as a pillow hit her face.

"Alright, that's enough. You two are acting like children," Em got up again and took the pillow away. "Why don't you do something grown-up, like watching telly?" She sat back down and grabbed a nearby newspaper to read.

Maria murmured, "Killjoy," and grabbed the remote from the coffee table, turning on the TV. The screen lit with life, and a familiar face was on the screen.

"The brilliant Sherlock Holmes has solved yet another case. James Burton, a man who had been on London's Most Wanted list since 2004, had been caught. Mr. Holmes and his two companions, Maria Campbell and John Watson, are the ones responsible for his capture this evening. Sherlock ―" the TV continued on to say that they greatly thanked Sherlock, and that James was behind bars.

"Wow, I didn't know I was dating a celebrity!" Maria joked.

"I'm not a celebrity."

"You're this close to fame," Maria held up two fingers closely. "Maybe you need to lay low for a while."

"How?"

"I don't know. Get smaller cases. I know it sucks, and don't make that face at me," Sherlock had his nose scrunched in disgust in her direction. It looked kinda funny to her. "Oh, I almost forgot. Lestrade told me to give you something since you didn't show up for the press conference last week," Maria rolled off of him and walked to the kitchen. She came back with a sloppily wrapped present, tossing it to him.

"What's this?" he caught it and ripped the paper. A deerstalker fell out. "You've got to be kidding me," he twirled it around in his fingers, messing with the two ends.

"I know. I told him you wouldn't like it," she sat beside his feet and watched him mess with the hat. He sat up beside her and tossed it around between his hands.

"It has two ends. Which end do you even put in the front? What would I even do with this thing, toss it? Look, it has ear flaps. It's an _ear flap hat_, Maria."

"It's a deerstalker." Em said from behind the newspaper.

"What would you even use it _for_? A Death Frisbee?" he mimicked throwing a frisbee before putting it on the coffee table, laying his head down on her lap.

Maria agreed that she didn't like it and changed the TV channel to The Maury Show (one of the thousand 'Who's the Father?' shows). Both of them would yell when it was clear ― to them ― who the father was.

Em rolled her eyes and said that she preferred the pillow fight over that.

Eventually, Sherlock said goodnight and left. Maria saw that he left the hat, and decided to wear it the next day just to see what he'd say.

Em walked past her and said, "Flirt, much?"

"Pry, much?" she quickly retaliated.

"Too much for my own good. Goodnight," Em walked upstairs and Maria heard a door close.

Maria smiled and went to her own bedroom. She changed into a pair of sweatpants and an old band t-shirt and went to bed. Nothing could prepare her for the next day.


	2. Chapter 2

**Two of a Kind: the Fall**

Chapter 2

*John's POV*

John stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist. He heard the sound of a chair falling over downstairs, and assumed that Sherlock was already up.

A few minutes later, he walked downstairs in pajamas and a towel thrown over his shoulder. He dodged the mannequin hanging by a noose and picked up a newspaper with Sherlock on the cover. Again.

"So did you just talk to him for too long or what?" John opened up the newspaper.

"Another non-suicide case. Almost done," Sherlock messed with some of the equipment Maria had given him.

"Pressing?"

"All of them are pressing until they're solved." Sherlock's phone beeped behind him. John saw that he made no movement to check it.

"Your phone just went off," John got up and grabbed it, trying to hand it to him.

"It's been doing that lately. Must be from Lestrade. Just read it and tell me what it says," he didn't keep his eye off of his microscope.

John rolled his eyes and read the text. He then realized who it was from and said, "Sherlock, I think you'd better read this,"

"John, not now. I'm busy."

"Sherlock," John tried to hand him the phone again, but it was pushed away.

He looked up and asked, "What? Can't you see I'm ―"

"He's back," John interrupted, and read the text out loud. '**Come and play. Tower Hill. Jim Moriarty x.**'

*Emily's POV*

Em walked in, thankful for a full-night's rest. She looked around and saw Maria drinking from a cup in the kitchen.

"Oh, I thought you agreed to stop this stuff," Em tried to take the cup, but Maria was too fast. She quickly moved out of the way and took a big gulp, almost finishing the drink.

"The caffeine helps," Maria finished the last of the drink and gave the empty cup to Em. She then walked to the living room and sat down in the chair. Her phone beeped beside her.

"No it doesn't. A Monster and Cola together is bad for your―" Em followed her in.

"Your heart. I know, you've given me the lecture enough," Maria brought her knees to her chin.

"I don't give lectures."

"And I don't annoy every person in hearing distance."

Em rolled her eyes and picked up Maria's phone, handing it to her, "Your mobile beeped."

Maria took it and read it aloud. Big mistake. "'**Remember me sweetheart? Time to play again. Tower Hill. Jim Moriarty x.**'"

"Jim Moriarty? The man that strapped bombs to John?!" Em got a bit frantic.

"Yea…John," Maria focused on nothing, then suddenly sprung from the chair, narrowly missing Em. She grabbed the deerstalker from the couch and ran to the front door.

"Wait, you're _going_?!" Em followed her to the front door. Maria grabbed her black overcoat and slid it on. She put on the hat, briefly checking it in the mirror above the coat hooks.

"I have to. And you," Maria grabbed Em's shoulders, "have to stay here." Em tried to argue, bit Maria stopped her. "This guy is a real baddie. I don't want you to meet him. It's best he doesn't know you, either." She wrapped the scarf around her neck and said goodbye to her, leaving her in the doorway.

Maria was already in the cab when Em realized what had just happened. _She just went to meet a bomb-happy lunatic that tried to blow up a bunch of people._ She was torn between just staying there and out of trouble, or following her.

Em decided pretty quickly. She ran to the edge of the sidewalk and hailed a cab. "Tower Hill. Hurry." She closed the door and the cabbie drove ahead.

"Going to see the Crown Jewels? Well, I heard a bunch of sirens heading in that direction. Might be a coincidence, but I'm not sure," the driver said up front.

"I know. A friend of mine is heading there now, probably with Sherlock," Em muttered. The cabbie heard her.

"Sherlock? The Reichenbach Hero?" he seemed surprised, "Your friend must be Maria. Poor girl."

"Why 'poor girl'?"

"The bombs a few months ago. Didn't you hear?" he said. He waited a moment before explaining, "That 'Moriarty' fellow strapped bombs to her chest and basically used her as a weapon against Sherlock. I've no idea how they got out alive," he pulled up to the sidewalk and told her that they arrived. Stepping out, she paid him through his window. _He must be mistaken. It was John, not Maria. They all told me that._

Looking around, Em saw police cars everywhere. She was about to walk up and find her flatmate, when she saw a man with short, black hair wearing a London hat and a white t-shirt being escorted out by her. The man looked up at Maria and said something to her, smiling. Maria frowned and shoved him in the back of a police car. Before his head disappeared, he looked Em in the eye and smiled. It sent a chill down Em's spine.

Sherlock came up behind Maria and said something in her ear, looking in Em's direction. Em took that as a queue to walk up and ask what just happened here_._

Maria met her in the middle and asked, "Why the _hell_ are you here?! I thought I told you to stay home for this one!" Maria looked mad. No, _pissed_. Em had only seen her like that once before, and the two didn't talk for weeks after it.

"You really think that I'd just let you go _alone_ here?"

"Basically all of the police are here! I'm clearly not alone," Maria looked up at her angrily, her lips an almost perfect straight line.

"I didn't know that. All I knew was that you got a text from _Moriarty_, saying to meet him somewhere."

"If you didn't know the depth of the text, then you shouldn't have come. I can't believe you were stupid enough to come here." Maria stomped off, leaving Em shocked and hurt. She had never said anything that hurtful to her before. Em stood there for a moment, a few policemen staring at her. Finally, she left and walked away, hailing a cab. She was on the verge of tears when she unlocked her flat and stepped in.

*Maria's POV*

Maria turned away from Em and walked back to where she was, trying not to let her anger show. Clearly, Sherlock saw and he held her fist in his hands. It softened her up a bit, but barely. _She shouldn't have come. I'm trying to protect her, and she just―_, Maria rambled on in her own head. Sherlock squeezed her closed fist, and she opened it to let him hold her hand properly.

"Maria, come on," Sherlock pulled her forward, snatching her out of her own thoughts. She didn't say anything, afraid that she would start yelling, and walked beside him. She felt stares, especially from Donovan and Anderson, follow her to the cab that John hailed.

Maria, John, and Sherlock crowded around Lestrade's laptop. A surveillance video was pulled up, ready to play. Maria kept her focus on the computer and not…other things. There was no need for her emotions to get out here.

Lestrade leaned over Sherlock's elbow and hit the play button. They watched Moriarty―dressed as a tourist―break the glass surrounding the crown jewels with a fire extinguisher.

"That glass, it's tougher than anything," Lestrade said, pausing the video as the glass shattered.

"Not crystallized carbon," Sherlock said.

"A diamond," Maria muttered. She said much louder, "Rewind it. There's a message on the glass," Lestrade did as she asked and paused it just before the extinguisher shattered it. They all leaned closer and read the words 'Get Sherlock,' with a smiley face in the 'o'.

Sherlock slowly stood straight, looking at the wall. He gripped Maria's hand tighter, and she looked up at him. "Let's go. I think we've seen enough," she stood straight and walked away, Sherlock following her soundlessly. John looked up at them, thanking him and following the two detectives. Lesterade said that he'd call a cab for them, and dialed a number on his phone.

Maria heard the sounds of cameras outside and groaned. _Em could get us out of here way faster, _she thought, but instantly pushed the thought away. Thinking about Em just reminded her of the fight, making her mad. Just before they left, John prepared them for the cameras. Not like they needed it, but it was routine. Sherlock grabbed the deerstalker from her head and stuffed it in his pocket.

"Don't want it to be seen?" Maria asked, her free hand on the door.

"By no one," he looked down at her, pushing the door open. Cameras and reporters instantly swarmed them. Maria, being a cop, immediately ordered the reporters to back up, giving them room to make it to the sidewalk. They reluctantly made a trail for them, but didn't give up on harassing them with pictures and questions of all kinds. Some relating to Moriarty, but some about their personal lives.

"Sherlock, can you tell us what happened at Tower Hill today?"

"Hey Maria, where's that friend of yours?"

"Do you know why that man tried to steal the crown jewels?"

"Maria, is that a ring I see?"

They all knew better than to answer the questions, but Maria was already in a bad mood from the fight with Em. She turned to the reporter that asked the question. "A ring?" Sherlock tried to pull her forward, but she stayed there.

The reporter eagerly repeated the question, ready to write on her notepad. Maria looked at her own hand and said, "No, no ring. But I do see a finger," she held up her middle finger and walked away, quickly putting it down. Almost all of the reporters shut up after that.

When they got in the cab, Sherlock closed the door and let his suppressed grin show. John, sitting across from them, looked annoyed. Maria rested her head on Sherlock's shoulder and closed her eyes. She heard John tell the cabbie to go to 221B, Baker Street.

"Maria, I think your 'American' came out just now," Sherlock said. She could hear the grin in his voice. She normally would retaliate, but she wasn't in the mood. He noticed this, "Just stay at John's and my flat. Take time to cool down."

"I can talk to Emily if you need me to," John added.

Maria opened her eyes and said, "No, I'll just stick with not going home. I don't need any more help."

The cab stopped and Maria let go of Sherlock's warm hand, stepping out. Taking out a set of keys, she unlocked 221B and walked inside. She found her way upstairs to the living room, laying on the couch. She heard Sherlock and John coming up the stairs.

"Maria? Has Sherlock gotten himself in trouble again?" Mrs. Hudson came in from the kitchen, holding a cup of tea.

"He always does. But this time it's a bit bigger," She sat up a bit to face her.

"Oh my, perhaps I should ―"

"No need to do anything, Mrs. Hudson. Just rest that hip, I'll take care of his lazy butt," she smiled a bit.

"Thank you. I'm surprised you remembered this old thing," Mrs. Hudson put her free hand on her hip and walked away, sipping her tea.

Sherlock appeared behind her. He slowly walked up to Maria, standing beside the couch. She sat straight up and made room for him. Sitting beside her, he wrapped his arm around her and brought her closer. She rested her head on his chest, wrapping her arm around his lower back, and they sat together in silence. She felt her anger toward Em slowly fade away. It was like Sherlock knew just what to do to help her calm down.

Sherlock broke the silence and said, "There's an extra bedroom if you want it."

"Thanks, but I'll sleep here," she patted the couch.

"No you're not. I know how it affects your leg." He looked down at her.

"I'll be fine. If it makes you feel better, I'll go there if my leg starts hurting," she looked up at him, and she felt the corners of her lips go up.

"No you won't. I know you better than that. If you really want to stay on the couch, then I'm staying too," she caught a glimpse of happiness in his eyes, and squeezed him a bit. He then gently placed his lips on her forehead. Maria felt warmth spread through her body as she closed her eyes. After lingering there a few seconds, he pulled away and rested his chin on top of her head. They stayed there the rest of the night. Eventually, laid down and fell asleep, with Sherlock laying flat on his back and Maria's head and arm on Sherlock's chest.


	3. Chapter 3

**Two of a Kind: the Fall**

Chapter 3

*John's POV*

John retreated to his room when they had gotten home from the police station; he wanted to give the couple some privacy.

After an hour, he quietly walked to the kitchen to make some tea, and found the two asleep on the couch. He realized that it was probably the first time Sherlock had slept in a while.

It still shocked him that Sherlock actually had a relationship with someone. It didn't look like it would fade away, either. He saw Maria shift a bit, and shift her head lower on his flatmate's chest. Sherlock then lifted his head a bit and opened his eyes. Looking around a bit, he saw John standing there. John opened his mouth to speak, but Sherlock simply brought his finger to his lips. John nodded and walked to the kitchen. A few seconds later, he heard the shuffle of feet in the other room. Curious, he peeked in and saw his flatmate carrying Maria bridal-style, taking her in the direction of the empty room.

John looked away and huffed. Sherlock just keeps surprising him every day they're together.

Over the next few weeks, John noticed more and more headlines on newspapers and tabloids about Sherlock and Moriarty. He was thankful that he saw none about himself. They eventually got a phone call about Sherlock appearing in court as a witness.

A few days later, John found himself and Sherlock in suits traveling in a police car to The Old Bailey, where Moriarty would be on trial.

"Remember―" John started.

"Yes."

John tried again, "Remember―"

"Yes, I know," Sherlock looked out the window.

"Remember what they told you: don't try to be clever―"

"No."

"―and _please_ just keep it simple and brief,"John practically begged him.

"So you're saying I should act dumb," Sherlock said sarcastically.

"As long as you don't make the judge mad," John looked at Sherlock, who was watching the buildings pass by.

"I'll just be myself," Sherlock said.

"Are you listening to me?"

"Yes." Sherlock looked at John. He took out his phone and typed something on it, frowning.

"What now?"

"Maria is wearing _the hat_ to court," he slid his phone back in his pocket. The rest of the ride was filled with casual chat about the trial.

When they got there, Maria was already heading up the steps to the entrance, making strange faces in the cameras around the steps. Em followed closely behind._ Well_, _looks like they got over their fight_.Maria wore a sleek black dress, with a deerstalker slapped on top of her light brown hair. She actually looked pretty good with it.

They both stepped out of the police car and walked to the court. They heard various news reports as they got closer.

"…here today, standing outside…"

"…the trial of the century…"

"…the trial of James Moriarty…"

John tried to avoid the view of the reporters, but Sherlock caught one's attention.

"And here we have the Reichenbach Hero, Sherlock Holmes. Sherlock, what do you think of the trial?" She tried to give the microphone to Sherlock, but he kept walking. John leaned to it and said, "I'm sorry, he's not allowed to answer any questions. Police orders." He caught up with Sherlock, and they walked into The Old Bailey together.

*Maria's POV*

Maria paced in the main area of the court, waiting for the intercom to call everyone to the courtroom where the trial would take place. She thought of the questions that she would have to answer in court ― she was also called as a witness. Em sat on a bench and quietly watched her.

"We're early. It'll take a few minutes," Em said, flattening a bump on her black skirt.

Maria stopped and turned to her, noticing how nervous she was. "There's no need to be nervous. It's just court."

"Yes, but its Moriarty's trial, and you have to speak against him. What if he gets mad at something you say?"

"He won't. That's not his style," she sat beside Em on the bench. Em looked down at her lap and didn't say anything, tapping her fingers on her lap.

John walked over and sat on the other side of Em, "Sherlock's in the loo," he satisfied Maria's curiosity, "I think court's about to start."

Sure enough, the intercom announced, "Crown versus Moriarty – please proceed to Court Three."

The three stood and walked to the courtroom together. A crowd of people went with them. Almost all of the seats were taken. They quickly settled for the front row on the opposing side. Maria saved the aisle seat for Sherlock, placing the deerstalker on the chair. Just before court began, Sherlock came in and found Maria, tossing the hat on her lap and sitting in the chair.

He leaned to her and whispered, "Reporter in the bathroom."

"Woman?"

"Yes. Acting like a fan to get a story about me."

"Can't blame her for trying," she glanced up at the jury and saw a woman holding a deerstalker similar to her own sit down in the back row.

Sherlock opened his mouth to say something, but the clerk in front of the judge's desk said, "All rise." Everyone stood, and Maria saw a large man with a curly, white wig step out of the door beside his desk and make his way to his seat. The judge told them to sit, and court began.

It was a miracle that Maria wasn't arrested with Sherlock.

She was called up just after Sherlock was put in handcuffs and escorted out of the courtroom. Walking up there, the judge discovered that she was Sherlock's girlfriend, and groaned. ("I hope you're not anything like _him._")

The questions asked were almost identical to the ones they asked Sherlock. She managed to bite her tongue most of the time when they asked an idiotic question. A few sarcastic remarks slipped out about the wigs they wore, and they threatened to arrest her also. Seeing Em purse her lips and give her a look that said '_If you get arrested, I'm not bailing you out_' was the only thing that stopped her from making any more remarks.

Moriarty winked at her as she walked back to her seat. She wiggled her eyebrows at him and sat down.

"Stifle the American side of you for _two seconds_, at least," Em whispered to her. She glanced up at Moriarty, then looked back at Maria.

"He did it first."

"So?"

"So that means that if I didn't do something back, I'd look like a coward."Maria leaned back in her chair, crossing her legs. Em rolled her eyes and paid attention to the judge.

After court, John left to bail out Sherlock. Em called a cab, and she and Maria rode to their flat. They talked about the trial, and what they thought would happen.

"Moriarty isn't mounting any defense. That means that somehow, he plans on escaping scotch-free. How, I don't know. It must have something to do with the jury," Maria said. Em nodded, not saying anything. "Okay, what's up? You're not talking."

"You told me that John was the one covered in bombs at that swimming pool."

Maria was about to say that it _was_ John, but then she remembered that she had to explain what happened when she met Moriarty, "Oh, come on. You'd never let me out of the house again if you knew it was me. That's _why_ I didn't tell you."

The cab stopped, and Em got out of the car. Maria paid the cabbie and followed her to inside. She tried to stop her, but Em paid no attention.

"Look, Em. I'm sorry!" she yelled.

"What?" Em said, surprised. She turned to face her.

"You heard me. I'm not saying it again," she stood in front of the front door, closing it.

"You apologized. _You_," Em huffed. "Well, that's a first."

Maria silently kicked off her heels and went to her bedroom, making sure to grab her iPod from the coffee table. She stayed in there the rest of the afternoon, occasionally coming out to grab a piece of paper or a file that she needed for a case.

Maria, sadly, had work the next morning. She would have preferred to go to the rest of the trial, but she knew she didn't need to miss another day.

She walked into Lestrade's office the police station with a pile of cases, all completed. He looked up from his computer a bit surprised. '_Dark circles, watery eyes, and slowness. Stayed up way too late over the past few days. Most likely dealing with a recent murder. And Moriarty, of course.' _Her brain fed her information, even though she didn't need it.

"Already done? That's what, twelve cases?" He counted the files, then grabbed the one on top. He flipped through it, trying to see what made it so easy for her. She had completed two months worth of cases in a day.

"It's not that hard. You had everything you needed to know in the pictures," she said. His jaw dropped a bit and a single eyebrow rose up. She asked, "Got any more?"

"Yea …Anderson needs ―"

"Someone else." She interrupted. She refused to work with him since she had gotten promoted a year ago.

"Okay," he thought for a minute, "Dimmock needs some help with a murder case. You haven't made him mad, have you?"

"Not yet. Where is he?"

"In the lab. Try not to ―"

"No promises," she interrupted. "Oh, and I suggest not staying up 'till 1 AM again tonight," she walked out of his office.

When she got to the lab, Molly shyly greeted her, asking her what she was there for.

"I need to see Dimmock. Apparently he needs help," she said looking around for him a bit.

"Oh, well I think he's in the morgue," Molly replied, moving out of the way so Maria could go past.

"Thank you," she made her way down the hall. Eventually, she found the door and walked inside. A man with short, sandy-blond hair was inside, standing over a corpse. He turned around at the sound of the door closing, frowning at her. He held a yellow file in one hand and a glove in the other.

"So you're the help Lestrade sent me? An assistant?" He looked at her a bit more, then turned back to the corpse. She glared at the back of his head and walked to where he was, standing beside him.

"Yes. Now, if you would kindly stop being an ass, I could help," she briefly looked at him with utter annoyance, then turned her eyes to the cadaver in front of her. '_Found near water. Scratches on the arm and bruising around the neck and head; hand-to-hand combat. No discoloration on or around the lips, so no poison,' _her mind gave her all the information she needed at the moment.

"What are you gonna do, fetch me coffee?" Dimmock insulted her. She balled her hand into a fist and took a deep breath before moving on. '_Em had better be real happy I actually listened to her 'anger management' lecture.'_

She glanced at the open file and said, "No weapon. This was done by hand. Check for brain swelling and prints around the throat. Wait, scratch that. The killer had gloves. If you could move out of my way, I could tell you more. Now, are you _sure _you don't need my help?" she looked up at him slightly, expecting him to stay put. Instead, he frowned a bit more and backed up, staying silent.

She grabbed a nearby glove and slipped it on. Lifting the victim's head, she ran her gloved hand across the back of his short hair. She then set it back down and checked her glove. '_No blood, so no outer head wounds. Possibly internal or none.' _She opened one eye and thought, '_No dilation. No severe head wounds.' _Moving to the neck, she gripped it lightly, positioning her hands to the bruises on his neck. '_Muscular hands, too large for a woman. Looking for a man around 200 lbs.'_ She straightened up, turning to Dimmock. "Where are his clothes?"

"In the bag over there," he pointed to a bucket with shoes and a bag full of clothes. "Why?"

"I need to check for something," she grabbed another glove to cover her left hand. She then took the bag and brought out his pants, checking for any holes or tears. After she saw none, she put them back in the bag and took out the shirt, checking for the same thing. She found a bit of grass, but no rips. She put the pieces of grass in test tube and handed it to Dimmock. Placing the bag back where it was, she lifted the shoes. Running her hand along the bottom, she found a bit of dirt. She grabbed another test tube and placed the dirt inside. She handed it to Dimmock and said, "Hold this for a sec."

"Is this all you have? Grass and a few specs of dirt?" he mocked.

"The victim was killed by hand. Choked to death. He was most likely murdered in a field, near a river. The murderer then put the dead body in the river and let it float away. The body floated some time, before finding its way to a shore. The victim did fight back, but the murder was much larger. You're looking for a man, around 200 lbs, possibly larger, and built." She took off the gloves and threw them in a trashcan beside the table. Smirking, she turned to him and saw his large eyes and open mouth.

She began to walk out, but paused beside him and said, "If you don't mind, I'd like some coffee. Black, two sugars. I'll be in the lab with these," she grabbed the test tubes from his hands and walked out.


	4. Chapter 4

**Two of a Kind: the Fall**

Chapter 4

**Author's Note: Okay, I know that season 3 recently came out. Since I live in the US, I haven't seen it yet. So just know that the ending is probably going to be nothing like the recent episodes. **

*Sherlock's POV*

Sitting in his flat, Sherlock contemplated the trial and Moriarty's means of escape. His phone rang. He picked it up and didn't even get a chance to say "Hi". John was already talking loudly.

"Not guilty. They found him _not guilty_. No defense, and he's walking free. You do realize that now he'll be after you, or Maria, now, right?" he said through the phone. Sherlock ended the call and set it down on the coffee table. He stood up, and walked to the kitchen. He heard his phone vibrate, but ignored it.

He prepared tea (using a recipe John had taught him), knowing that Moriarty would be coming straight for him. He set out two cups, then decided to place a third on the tray, in case Maria or John decided to show up. Of course, Maria would eavesdrop for a while before coming in at the end of the conversation if she decided to appear.

About ten minutes later, he set the tea tray on the coffee table and grabbed his violin, longing to play until Moriarty arrived. He stood in front of the window and brought the bow rhythmically across the strings, not really caring what sound the instrument made. He just focused on the sound of footsteps on the staircase. Eventually, he heard a creak and paused, waiting for something to happen. Hearing nothing, he continued, keeping his eye on the reflection in the window. Finally, he made out the silhouette of a tallish man in a silk suit. Moriarty.

"You know, most people knock," Sherlock set down the violin and turned around.

"I'm not most people. You should know that by now," Moriarty stood in the doorway between the hall and the living room. "I see you just made tea. Expecting me?"

"Why wouldn't I? Now please, sit." He gestured to the empty chair in front of him. Moriarty smiled a bit and walked toward it, grabbing an apple out of a nearby bowl.

Sherlock moved to the coffee table in front of Moriarty and began pouring tea, only filling two cups.

"Oh, why the third cup? Will John be joining us? Or maybe it's for that police girlfriend of yours," he took one of the full cups and took a sip from it.

All Sherlock said was: "Perhaps."

"Good. It'll be great seeing her. Maybe this time she won't slap me." He rubbed his cheek a bit. Sherlock assumed that Maria had fought back when he had taken her and strapped bombs to her chest. He imagined her punching and cursing him, spitting out every threat imaginable.

"She won't. She might curse at you, but nothing physical unless you greatly insult her." He sat down across from Moriarty and drank from his cup.

"Then I'll try not to if she comes," he smiled a bit. "How was John's reaction to me getting out?"

"Shocked. Angry."

"But admit it. You were happy,"

"With the verdict or you?"

"With me being scotch free. Every fairytale needs a good villain, don't you think?" He raised his eyebrows and grinned at Sherlock. He stayed silent. "You need me. Without me, you're nothing. We're just alike, you and I."

"Except?"

"Except you're boring. You work with the _angels_," Moriarty shook his head in disappointment.

"You threatened the jury," Sherlock changed the subject.

"You think I couldn't get into a few hotel rooms? I mean, I broke into the Tower of London, Bank of England, and the Pentonville Prison all at once," he rhythmically tapped on the chair. He explained how he blackmailed the jury into letting him free.

Sherlock glanced out the window, and saw a familiar brunette step out of a cab. He shifted his eyes back to Moriarty and asked, "So how are you going to 'burn me'?" He thought back to the case he called The Great Game. He remembered waiting for Moriarty beside a pool, and seeing Maria step out covered in bombs. That was the first time he ever experienced fear.

"Well, that's the problem. Our Final Problem. Do you know what it is?"

Sherlock paused, thinking of what it was. A blank came up in his mind.

"I've told you. Did you not listen?" Moriarty said in a teasing voice that annoyed Sherlock. _I _should_ know what it is. What is it? _Moriarty shook his head and asked, "How hard is it? Saying 'I don't know'?"

Sherlock pursed his lips together and said, "I don't know."

"Clever. Walked right into that one, I guess," he complimented. Sherlock gave a fake smile as he continued, "Speaking of, have you told your little friends yet why I broke into all of those places?"

Sherlock heard faint steps below him as he said, "Of course not."

Moriarty kept silent, as if straining to listen for something. When no sound was made, he said: "Well, you know."

"It's obvious I know."

"Then why? Prove it to me."

"You've shown that you can break into the highest security in Britain. Because of that, there's no need to take anything. You've shown that you can take whatever you want, whenever you want. The man with the key ―"

"― is king," Moriarty interrupted, "and honey, you should see me in a crown."

"Already have," Maria appeared in the doorway. "It made your head look too big." She smiled a bit smugly and leaned against the doorframe.

"Maria! I was hoping you'd appear. Please, sit with us," Moriarty gestured to the empty desk chair near him. She walked to it and drug it beside Sherlock, sitting down. He looked at her with an eyebrow raised, not expecting her to be here yet.

"Great to see you again Jim," she gave a fake smile in his direction and leaned back in her chair. "Oh, and I have to compliment you on the Advertizing." By breaking into all of those places and then escaping from court a free man, he was showing thousands of criminals what he could do.

"Oh, but you both helped," He sipped the last of his tea and sat the cup down on the tray. "Now, so many people want me. All competing for me."

"I can imagine," Maria said sarcastically.

"You can break any bank, but you care about the highest bidder," Sherlock said.

"No, I just like to see them squirm. 'He likes me more!" Moriarty said, "Well, you both know what it's like. You've got John and Emily."

"Leave them out," Maria sat up straight. Sherlock grabbed her hand and rested it on the armrest of his chair. _You need to be calm_, he attempted to project his thought to her, but it seemed to him that she was ignoring him.

"Protective of your pets, I see," Moriarty brought out a pocket knife and began carving the apple in his lap. She looked away from him, and Sherlock noticed that she was using the anger technique that Emily had taught her. Breathe in. One. Out. One, two. In. Clench fist. One, two, three. Out. Unclench.

"You're not doing any of this for power or money. So what for?" Sherlock leaned forward, keeping Maria's hand in his.

"I want to solve this problem. _Our_ problem, Sherlock. It'll start very soon."

"What will?" Maria asked, appearing calm.

"The Fall, Maria. It's just like flying ―"

"― except you end up with brains on the pavement," she said bluntly. Sherlock's eyes widened a bit, thinking he knew what Moriarty meant.

"Well that's a bit violent, don't you think?" Moriarty asked.

"Said the man that knocked me out and decked me in bombs."

"Right. I would apologize," Moriarty stood up, "but I'm not really sorry." He laid the apple on his chair and said goodbye, attempting to pat Maria on the shoulder as he left. She moved away in time for him to pat the chair instead.

They watched as Moriarty left, waiting to hear the door open and close downstairs. When they heard the click of the doorknob downstairs, Sherlock puffed out a bit of air and leaned back, relieved. Maria stood up and grabbed the apple. She was about to throw it in the garbage can beside the desk, but paused and stared at it a bit. He saw her bite her tongue and narrow her eyes.

"What? What is it?" Sherlock scrunched his eyebrows together and cocked his head slightly to the side. She tossed the apple to him and he caught it, turning it to see what she was looking at.

"I.O.U.," he muttered. Glancing up, he watched her pace a bit, her hands clenched. She finally decided to sit down where Moriarty was sitting, keeping her hands balled.

"You should go home and rest. Try to relax." Sherlock saw how stressed she was, and didn't need to deal with that at the moment. Would he if he needed to? Of course. But his focus should be on Moriarty for right now.

"Like I can," he heard her mutter. He bit his tongue and closed his eyes, thinking of what he should do. Finally, he stood and walked to her chair, gently taking her hands and slowly standing her up. He looked down at her and said, "We can deal with Moriarty later. For now, you need to let off some steam." He brought his lips to hers, feeling warmth through his body. He felt her smile and slowly pulled away, looking into her eyes. Sherlock saw his reflection through her piercing blue eyes and found a small smile on his face.

"Fine. I will," she said, her hand moving to her thigh unconsciously. Clearly, it was hurting her again.

"And take some Advil on the way out. You know where it is."

"Nope. John needs it for his shoulder. I think a bubble bath would do nicely," she squeezed his hand once before letting go. Sherlock watched her as she tried to disguise the pain in her leg.

"Don't be an idiot. Take some medicine," he tried to walk to the kitchen but Maria grabbed his arm, stopping him.

"Nu uh. I'm fine. Now, I'm gonna go enjoy a nice, long bath. Have fun dealing with all of this crap." She walked up to him and stood on her toes, kissing him goodbye.

Just before she left, she said: "If the police call and ask where I am, tell them I left so Dimmock could be a big boy and do his own case."

He didn't bother to ask. He looked out the window and watched Maria hail a cab and ride away.

Sherlock took out his phone and dialed a number into it. He paced the room, waiting for someone to answer. _John says to be polite and to comply with what he says. _

"_Hello?_" A man answered the phone.

"This is Sherlock Holmes. I'm sure you know who I am. I need to have a little chat with you, if you don't mind."

"_About what?_" the man asked, sounding a bit cautious.

"I think you know what this is about, sir." Sherlock sat in the chair beside the window, preparing himself for a possible argument.

"_I was afraid you were going to say that._"


	5. UPDATE!

Okay, so I have good news and bad news.

Good news is, I've almost completed chapter 5! :D And I added in something that Julianne (beta) and I were just joking about. I can't wait for you to read that little part.

Now the bad news. I have this little purple flash drive that I keep all of the chapters on, and its missing. I ran around the entire house all yesterday and today trying to find it. If i dont soon, ill have to rewrite the entire chapter :( .

Also, the reason I've been taking so long on the last few chaptets is because I've had a whole lot of projects and reports to finish. I turned in two projects and one report today, and I have to finish another report and project by Monday. So I haven't been LAZY. Just extremely busy.

I'll delete this as soon as I finish the next chapter.

Love,

HD


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